As an update to yesterdays post on the Athens Cultural Center. It is snowy and cold in Athens on New Years Day 2008. The sidewalks in front of the empty storefronts on Second Street in Athens are ice covered and hard chunky snow is blocking the street at the end of the sidewalks.
Also there is little art in the "Cultural Center". A photo of a boat yard which has been there all summer remains along with a painting of a nude visible to the children walking to Animal Crackers Pre- School a few doors up.
The Renaissance crowd says the arts are growing throughout the Hudson Valley. Well the arts related jobs are not. I often peruse craigslist a somewhat artsy friendly bulletin board looking for writing and photo assignments. Simply click on the New York Page and look for listings in the Hudson Valley (aka the new suburbia and commuter mecca), the Catskills (i.e. Woodstock) and you will find few viable listings for this new economic engine that will save us from the computer chip fab plants.
Forget about even finding listings in the depressed upstate and southern tier region.
The pipe dreaming arts and latte' crowd has a lot of proving to do. Everyone likes a nice sculpture, photo or painting.
However looking at art hanging in windows does not an economy make.
Another old time river town Catskill boasts nine art galleries now. But a drive down Main Street among the white lighted trees shows all the shops closed by 5 except for a well run home furnishings store who gets it.
OPen late during the holidays and pretty Christmas music playing for folks on the street to hear.
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